The community of Woodland has a few major concerns about the city and other issues that surround the community.
A post in the Woodland Washington Community Chat Facebook group by Reflector reporter Cade Barker yielded dozens of responses in a week’s time. The post asked the community members to share their thoughts on the current state of Woodland, what they’d like to see more or less of in their city, and other issues they feel are important.
A lifetime resident of Woodland for over 40 years, Bree Petty shared her concern about what some have referred to as “one of the greatest natural disasters in our lifetime.” Petty’s concern is that the California sea lions have free roam of freshwater rivers, which has led to devastation in salmon, steelhead and smelt runs.
“All the sea lions that are infesting our rivers and have now become an invasive species due to being federally protected,” she commented. “At what point does the government stop protecting one species in order to save another? This very much is a concern that relates to many families of Woodland who rely on fishing not just as a hobby, but as a way of feeding their family and livelihood.”
Residents also expressed their concerns about traffic, which the main cause — the Interstate 5 interchange with Lewis River Road, exit 21 — won’t be mitigated until 2028, pending environmental and design approvals, according to previous reporting by The Reflector. The issue doesn’t stop at the freeway interchange, however, as Woodland resident John Sauer pointed out.
“I am concerned about the lack of infrastructure to support the new single-family and multi-family housing on Lewis River Road,” Sauer commented.
Another Woodland resident, Kim Capeloto, doubled down on roadway and pedestrian infrastructure, coming in way short of the residents’ need.
“Ingress and egress at the main exit off I-5 into Woodland is a big issue and a huge safety concern,” she commented. “That also contributes greatly to the traffic issue. The second item is Woodland’s lack of infrastructure to support the multi-family and single-family residences that are being constructed. If you don’t put a better infrastructure in place prior to the construction and arrival of a large influx of new residents, you get gridlock, which ultimately is compounded when you have to close roads, etc … to improve the infrastructure after the fact.”
Woodland resident Mari Ripp garnered a lot of support for her comment on city council issues; support poured in through additional comments and 34 likes.
“I say hot topics for city council candidates coming up in the election,” Ripp commented. “Filing week begins May 5. Some incumbents need to answer why they supported $200,000 severance packages, building an unfunded civic center, audit findings, and impact on financial outlook. Why didn’t they let the people vote on allowing or not allowing retail pot (cannabis) sales, just to name a few.”
